When I started working on nuclear resonance scattering using synchrotron sources in Germany, back in the late 70s, synchrotron radiation was still parasitic and considered a nuisance. It was new, it was risky and a big challenge but I was pulled in by my supervisor’s excitement and his conviction that it would be possible. It took us 9 years to get the first proved spectrum. When the ESRF planned to build a Mössbauer beamline, it was a unique chance for me to work at the world’s first 3rd generation synchrotron, creating a new technique.